Royal. Colonial Institute. 217 Mr. F. B. CAMPBELL : May I be permitted to add my thanks to those already expressed, for the very interesting paper to which we have listened. It is a subject of intense interest to me, and I am sure that it is impossible to over- estimate the influence which the Colonial Institute has exerted in this country, in disseminating information concerning our Colonial Empire. And it is because the Institute has done much in the past that I am ambitious for it to do more in the future. It may sound enigmatical, and at first ungracious, when I say that I am anxious that the Institute should use its powerful influence so to organise the bibliography of the colonies that it may eventually render us in- dependent of its own existence. The Chairman in his opening remarks conferred upon librarians the honourable epithet of " Guardians of Literature," and it is a term of which librarians must be proud. At the same time, however, while, in one sense, we must ever remain the " Guardians of Literature " in so far as we may have collections of books entrusted to our charge yet, it should ever be the highest ambition of librarians not to be the willing guardians of the contents of books, but as much as possible to render the world independent of our personal presence and knowledge, by the due supply of the necessary lists, bibliographies and catalogues. The Library of this Institute, as we have just heard, is rich in stores of colonial literature, but, gentlemen, the Colonial Institute exists only in London. There are thousands of men throughout the country (at least we hope so) who are interested in the colonies, and who wish to keep them- selves informed on colonial matters, but they cannot all come to London some may be living in the most inaccessible wilds of Scotland and how are they to inform themselves under the circumstances ? Now, at the present moment, the bibliography of the colonies is in a most disordered state, both in regard to general literature and official "state-papers" and this in spite of the praiseworthy efforts of many private individuals, some of whom are in the room at the present moment. And why? Simply because it is not a matter in which private enter- prise alone ever can succeed : it is essentially the work of governments, and governments alone can perform it. One of the speakers has just alluded to the value of supplying information relative to the Colonies. But how is it possible for us to obtain such information if the Colonies omit to publish lists and catalogues, and to keep them up to date ? At the present moment, with a few minor exceptions, the colonies do nothing in the matter. It is true that there are a certain number of isolated works of reference of a kind, but they are neither continuous nor complete (points on which all bibliography hinges), while in the great and important division of " state papers," there is only a handful of indexes, which are not compiled in the right manner, and which cannot atone for the absence of proper catalogues. Only recently, a very considerable Australasian Bibliography has been published at Sydney. But, although this is a most useful work, representing much labour, yet it does not fully satisfy our wants, and such a publication never can and never ought to satisfy us. It is radically wrong that Sydney should attempt to do the work of Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and other Colonial centres for the simple reason that it never can perform the work completely. Each Colony can alone do its own work, and it is to each Colonial Government separately that we should look. And as to the whole question, the remedy is so very simple, and merely a matter of common-sense. All that we desire is that the several Colonial Govern- ments should each issue periodical printed registers, containing entries of every work published during a given period, with full titles of the same, and that this should be done, not only in reference to general literature, but similar lists should be issued every year, containing separate entries of the titles of each individual "state-paper" published. If this be accomplished, then we shall all be able to purchase complete reference lists of the literature of any Colony for any period of time, and our present difficulties will vanish. Mr. PETHEKICK : With your permission, Sir Frederick, I should like to reply to some of the remarks of the last speaker. Some Colonial Governments might be willing to publish the titles of local publications, but it would scarcely be practic- able for thirty or forty governments in different parts of the world. It must be remembered that while the publication of large volumes in the Colonies is infre- quent a volume of 300 or 400 pages is an event ! pamphlets issued from nearly every printing press in the principal towns and cities are very numerous. Colonial
